Realtime Traffic & Speed Cams

[loick]

TambourineMan,

- The 50 button allows you to notify other users that there is a speed trap where you are located
- The "Eco" is changing from green to orange to red according the way you drive it tells you if you have an economic driving style or not. You can have an histogram of these values by tapping the speed figure. The histogram is Prius like ;-)
- To switch from Km/h to Miles/h go to menu/preferences/ and change "distance unit" from kilometres to miles and restart the application.

If you have any other question feel free to ask them on this forum

 

[loick]

New release on the market (2010-05-18) :

Version 1.0.32a Code Version 49: For Android 1.6 and earlier

• Evolution: While hidding the prgress bar for preferences, application title bar is now hidden after a restart. This enlarges the map for landscape mode or small screen devices.
• Improvement: Traffic Ligth cameras are notified at 500m, accidents and speed traps at 1000m, Speed Cam are notified in function to speed limit (70 Mi/h: 1200m, 60 Mi/h: 950m etc ...)
• Improvement: While moving map with the finger Traffic Info was hidden they are now shown while moving.
• Improvement: Code optimisation to reduce CPU use and consumption.
• Fix: It was possible to see SpeedCam? blinking if you were in communication after alert and end communication after leaving the speedcam.
• Fix: While moving map with your finger if the map had some inertia Traffic Info layers may be at the wrong position.

As this software is free it's success only depends on comments on the market. Can you rate and comment my app on the market?

 

[Stretlow]

A question about traffic info layers...

If I select " Google extended traffic" I can see the usual stuff I see on Google maps.

However if I select "google traffic and collaborative" it disappears...

Is this correct?

Which setting should I be using.?

 

[loick]

A question about traffic info layers...

If I select " Google extended traffic" I can see the usual stuff I see on Google maps.

However if I select "google traffic and collaborative" it disappears...

Is this correct?

Which setting should I be using.?

In fact it depends where you are living. Since few months Google stopped providing Traffic Info layers ONLY in Europe for application using Maps.

So to provide Traffic Info layer I've obliged to find a workaround and I developped this "Google extended traffic" based on third party API.

"google traffic and collaborative" show the default Google layer which is still available in US (don't ask me why) and my collaborative layer.

Because our telephones have limited memory I can't show the collabortive and "Google extended traffic" at the same time.

So your behaviour is "ok" if you are in Europe and "google traffic and collaborative" will not work until Google decides to restore the service.

You can set the default layer in preferences so you don't have to select it each time you start the application.

 

[Stretlow]

In fact it depends where you are living. Since few months Google stopped providing Traffic Info layers ONLY in Europe for application using Maps.

So to provide Traffic Info layer I've obliged to find a workaround and I developped this "Google extended traffic" based on third party API.

"google traffic and collaborative" show the default Google layer which is still available in US (don't ask me why) and my collaborative layer.

Because our telephones have limited memory I can't show the collabortive and "Google extended traffic" at the same time.

So your behaviour is "ok" if you are in Europe and "google traffic and collaborative" will not work until Google decides to restore the service.

You can set the default layer in preferences so you don't have to select it each time you start the application.

Im in the uk , so which is best for me to use?

 

[loick]

Im in the uk , so which is best for me to use?

I think in Uk you should use "Google extended" by default and switch to "Collaborative" when Google doesn't provide any Traffic Info.

 

[loick]

New release on the market (2010-05-21) :

Version 1.0.33a Code Version 50: For any Android version having standard screen size:

• Improvement: Simple port of version 1.0.32a for android 1.1 to 1.5

As this software is free it's success only depends on comments on the market. Can you rate and comment my app on the market?

 

[gamul1]

Is there some sort of documentation, help guide, or quick reference guide on how to use this tool. I went to your web site and did not see any detailed specs on how to use, adjust or figure out what everything means. I *almost* logged an accident report just playing around....

 

[loick]

Hi gamul1,

Indeed, the english version of my user's guide is not translated at the moment it's only available in French and not even up to date.

The idea of this tool is to provide Trafic Info Layers on Google Maps. There are two types of traffic layers. One from Google and one from my app.

When you drive you provide your own traffic condition to the community by sending anonymously your position, speed and direction so I can build my own Traffic Info layer.
Play with the menu "Show/Hide" to filter the layer(s) you want to see.

On top of that I added speed cam, traffic light cam, speed traps and accidents notifications. Some of them are static and the others are declared by the community while driving.

Of course you can also export/share your trips by mail (by a link to a Google Maps) / google earth (from SD card file), you can even see the type of driving behaviour you have (instant and historical graph by clicking the speed figure), average speed, total distance and users at 500km around you.

Have a look to preferences to customise the app like you want or feel free to ask me by mail because I developed lots of things and some of them are hidden (place a file named speedcam.mp3 at the root of you SD card and that will change the notification proximity alarm)

 

[bluenova]

Would it be possible to have either a selection of notification sounds or the ability to set your own notification sound? I find the current speed camera warning quite anoying and would prefer a gental beep.

EDIT: Just read this...

(place a file named speedcam.mp3 at the root of you SD card and that will change the notification proximity alarm)

Cool, I will try it out.

 

[loick]

Cool, I will try it out.

Let me know if you have any problem because the mp3 file sometime's not played because of the sampling frequency ;-)

try the attached one as I use it for my tests.

 

[MannyLNJ]

I've noticed the speed indicator is often shall I say laggy? I can be doing low 40's down a road some to a red light and after being stopped for a few seconds it will show 20 mph as my speed.

 

[TambourineMan]

I (maybe temporarily) uninstalled my copy - although it did not uninstall cleanly - it said it left som file.

Anyway, something was killing my battery.

When I was done I just exited out by pressing the return button. Does it keep downloading traffic and triangulating satellites in the background?

How would I force close it?

 

[loick]

I (maybe temporarily) uninstalled my copy - although it did not uninstall cleanly - it said it left som file.

Anyway, something was killing my battery.

When I was done I just exited out by pressing the return button. Does it keep downloading traffic and triangulating satellites in the background?

How would I force close it?

To stop my app hit menu then exit. When done it asks you if you want to stop the service. The idea is to be noticed when close to speedcam and save battery. You can switch back to my app from notification bar to close it.

 

[loick]

I've noticed the speed indicator is often shall I say laggy? I can be doing low 40's down a road some to a red light and after being stopped for a few seconds it will show 20 mph as my speed.

My needs GPS signal to compute your speed so if you stop while having no gps signal or low signal your speed may stay fixed or laggy

 

[TambourineMan]

Duh (again). So now that I know how to "exit" and stop using up my battery, I reinstalled.

We don't have red light/speed cams in Massachusetts (or at least not many), but we do have favorite speed trap locations. How does your program get speed trap location info? Only when a user reports it using the "50" button? or does it access some other database?

While there are favorite speed trap locations, they are not in constant use. If a speed trap is not reported in a long time, how long does it stay in the database?

Until the Evo 4G is available in two weeks I am stuck with an unlocked G1. I downloaded the version that says "real time traffic and speed cams" rather than "real time traffic 1.6. It seems to work other than I don't see any speed cam locations, but i didn't expect to see any. What's the difference?

The traffic info options are 1) Google and user reported (collaborative), 2) collaborative only and 3) Google extended traffic. I "googled" for "Google extended traffic" and got no hits. Is there a difference between the Google traffic info received in the combination mode versus just the Google extended traffic?

 

[loick]

Hi TambourineMan,

Speed traps indeed are notified by the 50 sign by users of my app only and they are kept in database forever.
Anyway I only show the one notified one in the last 45 minutes.

For your G1 you have to use the "Real Time Traffic and Speed Cams" instead of "Real Time Traffic 1.6". It's exactly as I develop my app on Nexus One for version 1.6 and my G1 for version 1.1 up to 1.5 so your problem looks more like a network issue (which G1 is good for) than a bug.

In Europe (where I'm from) Google stopped providing Traffi Info for third party application using Maps so I've been obliged to use alternate Google API to provide Traffic Info for France and UK. These API are bit richer than the default one so I named it "Extended". In a near future I will provide Traffic Info for zoom levels lower than level 9.

 

[loick]

To every Beta Testers,

Version 1.0.34b which will be delivered tomorrow is available for download for beta testers on http://monthorin.net.

If you want beta tester account send me a request by mail.

 

[loick]

New release on the market (2010-05-28) :

Version 1.0.34b Code Version 51: For Android 1.6 and earlier:

• Evolution: You can now use the application in full screen mode (no title bar no notification bar).
• Evolution: It('s now possible to notify speedcams and accidents in biker mode. The screen is divided in two parts for notifications and the all screen is touchable. Simply touch the left side to notify accidents and the right side for speedcams.
• Improvement: Bottom buttons selection could be difficult. The bottom zone has been enlarged to be easily touchable. Icons size stay the same to keep the map as big as possible.
• Fix: Fix bugs possibly causing issue on service stop
• Fix: Traffic Info wasn't properly displayed while unsing multi-touch (pinch). Application now goes back to the last known zoom level while pinching.

As this software is free it's success only depends on comments on the market. Can you rate and comment my app on the market?

 

[inssane]

awesome app. Would be awesome if it integrates with trapster.

+10,000!!

 

[loick]

I don't see what Trapster has and Real Time Traffic doesn't.

Can you tell me?

 

[loick]

New release on the market (2010-06-01) :

Version 1.0.35a Code Version 52: For any Android version having standard screen size:

• Evolution: Version 1.0.34a port for Android 1.1 to 1.5.
• Evolution: Add option for low visibility. Traffic Info layers are inlarged for better visibility.
• Improvement: When GPS measures are not good enough or GPS signal is lost, speed is displayed as "--" instead of the last known speed.
• Fix: Sending trip could not work in very few cases.

As this software is free it's success only depends on comments on the market. Can you rate and comment my app on the market?

 

[inssane]

I don't see what Trapster has and Real Time Traffic doesn't.

Can you tell me?

In all fairness - I haven't used your app on the road yet. I have played around with it some in the house and it looks nice.

I don't know all of the features that it has that yours doesn't but basically it's a community based flagging system.
So I am running Trapster and I see GMaps and my car (icon) following in real time. There is a "pulse" on the map in front of my car with user specific ranges from 1/4 mile to a mile. You can run Trapster in the background and get audible alerts and a little icon that pops up in the top bar when there is a trap, red light camera, etc.

The RLC notification is great in the city.

So if I am driving and a speed trap icon comes up and it's green, that means it's a new flag. If I see a cop there, I click on the icon and confirm it. The app logs the time and date of the flag with your username. The more people that confirm, the more concrete the icon becomes. Goes from Green (newer) to Yellow (some confirmed) to Red (many confirmed).

It's pretty accurate for what it is and I use it all the time on road trips.

The accident data is scarce on Trapster as I have never seen it AND there is no traffic on the Trapster map.

I think we all want the best which would be plotting a destination and navigating WHILE seeing traffic and speed traps and such.
Almost like a hybrid of your program, Trapster, and Google Navigation.

Unfortunately the iPhone version of Trapster has some more features, but the Patrol Feature, we recently got and it's nice. It shows a blue line where others have recently used Trapster so you know that people in front of you are "hopefully" watching and tagging.

Trapster - iPhone Speed Trap Alert Application

Let me know if you want more feedback and I will try to use this app today as I have been "ROMming" and pretty busy with that.
Nick

PS - I can beta test for you if you PM me.

 

[newyorkgreg]

How is this in the New York metro area?

 

[TambourineMan]

insane,

I am sure loick will be along to provide further input, but on one very essential item you are incorrect - Real Time Traffic does provide real time traffic info just like Google maps - traffic layer.

I like it better as i think it shows more side roads.

Also, it keeps the screen from going dark and then blank which is a real annoyance with Google traffic. Initially I had a problem as I was just using the return arrow to exit so it was running in the background and draining my battery, but now I know to use menu>Exityes to stop it from running in the background.

I have Trapster and have used it, but it's a PITA to keep it up to date.